Jordan College Dean's Undergraduate Medalist: Héctor Jácome-Sáenz

(May 20, 2022) - Plant science senior Héctor Jácome-Sáenz was honored as the Jordan College's Undergraduate Medalist at its commencement ceremony held at the Save Mart Center.

Deans from across the campus selected their honoree based on academic excellence, community involvement and other achievements.

The Salinas native was raised in Mexico in a house surrounded by cornfields and worked with his family in the fields. He earned his GED and enrolled at Hartnell College to add to his field worker experience. There, Jácome-Sáenz volunteered for a number of agricultural events where he could promote and teach youth about farming.

He continued that volunteer work at Fresno State as an ag ambassador and by motivating and mentoring future farmers, while maintaing a 4.0 GPA.

He is a recruiting coordinator for the Irrigation Club and a member of the Plant Science Club.

He also worked as a research assistant studying plant disease and volunteered on a genetic engineering research project on the navel orange worm. Jácome-Sáenz works at the Kearney Ag Research and Extension Center as a lab assistant and will continue working there after graduation.

He has applied for the plant science master’s program at Fresno State and hopes to become a professor.

Visit this link to read more about the other undergraduates medalists selected from across campus.